Privacy Policy

1. Information we collect

• Account information: email, Apple/Google sign-in identifiers, nickname, credentials, interests/usual directions.
• Age-verification information: the result of age verification (whether you are confirmed to be 18+).
• Profile & trust information: ratings (reputation), block/report history.
• Location information: coarse "direction / destination" used for matching, plus your current location, which is sent to our servers to run a search when you look for spots nearby (nearby search on the map, or asking the AI companion for something "near me"). Your route stays on the device and is not sent to our servers. In no case is your precise location shared with other users.
• Travel statistics (optional, off by default): only if you turn on "Help with travel statistics" in privacy settings, we receive, for each drive, the start and end points converted on your device into grid-square codes (Japan: the Japanese standard grid, about 1 km across; United States and South Korea: about 5 km across), the date, the hour of departure, the distance, and the duration. Exact coordinates, the route taken, and minute-level times are never sent.
• Voice, call & AI conversation information: channel audio; AI conversation audio, transcripts, and usage time. We handle these for safety, moderation, AI responses, and quality improvement. After an AI conversation, we may store a short memory summarizing preferences, interests, or English-learning goals.
• User content: spot posts, reviews, photos, meetups, etc. Driving history is, in principle, stored on the device.
• Payment & transaction information: purchase/billing history, payment identifiers (card numbers etc. are handled by the store/payment provider and may not be retained by us).
• Usage logs & device information: IP address, device/OS info, cookie identifiers, access times, operation history.
• Inquiry & anti-fraud information: inquiry content, contact history, events/logs needed for fraud detection.

2. Purposes of use

• Providing, maintaining, and improving the Service; identity and age verification; account management
• Matching by direction/destination; providing channels, meetups, spots, AI suggestions, and AI conversations
• (only if "Help with travel statistics" is on) Producing and analysing statistics on how drives flow across an area, and improving the Service
• Safety, moderation, handling reports/blocks, responding to trouble/violations
• Billing and payment processing
• Support and inquiry response
• Fraud prevention, security, dispute/rights-infringement response, legal compliance
• Statistics/analysis in a non-identifying form, and service improvement

3. Handling of voice data

• Voice in channels is streamed in real time to other users in the same channel.
• For safety, report handling, moderation, and quality improvement, we may temporarily record and review voice or transcribe it.
• AI conversation audio is sent to an external AI provider for real-time responses and transcription. After a conversation, we may store a short memory for the next session; you can delete it within the Service.
• Such recordings/transcriptions are handled only to the extent and for the period necessary, and are appropriately deleted or anonymized when no longer needed.

4. Handling of location information

• Matching uses only coarse "direction / destination" information.
• We never share your pinpoint location with other users.
• The map and your drive-history map are drawn on the device. Your drive history and the route you took stay on the device and are not sent to our servers.
• When you search for spots nearby, your precise location is sent to our servers. This happens for nearby search on the map and when you ask the AI companion for something "near me", so that we can set the centre and radius of the search. We handle that location only to run the search and in our logs for fraud prevention and troubleshooting. To stop sending it, turn off location permission for this app in your device settings (nearby search will then be unavailable).
• "Help with travel statistics" is a separate, optional feature. Only if you turn it on, then at the end of each drive we receive the start and end points converted on your device into grid-square codes, the date, the hour of departure, the distance, and the duration. Exact coordinates and the route are not sent.
• Travel statistics cover only drives within Japan (squares about 1 km across), the United States and South Korea (squares about 5 km across). Drives elsewhere are never sent, whatever the setting is.
• This setting is off by default and turning it on is your choice. You can turn it off at any time in the app's privacy settings, and nothing is sent from then on. To have data sent before you turned it off deleted, contact us at the address in Section 13.
• Travel statistics are stored linked to your account but are used to compile and analyse statistics. If we provide them to third parties, we do so only after processing them into statistics that cannot identify an individual.
• We do not place personally identifiable information in URL parameters, etc.

5. Provision/entrustment to external providers

To provide the Service, we send/entrust information to external providers such as the following, as needed. Information may be processed/stored in the providers' countries (mainly the United States and others) and transferred abroad. When providing or entrusting personal data to third parties located abroad, we take the steps required by the Act on the Protection of Personal Information of Japan, such as ensuring equivalent safeguards, and we will provide information about the destination countries and their systems upon request without undue delay.

• Real-time voice streaming/transcription providers
• Payment providers (Apple/Google in-app purchase, etc.)
• Cloud/hosting, maps, AI (suggestions, voice conversation, and transcription), email delivery, analytics providers

6. Provision to third parties

We do not provide personal data to third parties except:

• with your consent
• to subcontractors as needed to achieve the purposes (we supervise them appropriately)
• where required by law, or to protect life, body, or property
• in response to lawful requests from police or public authorities
• where provided in connection with a business succession (merger, business transfer, etc.)

7. Cookies & analytics

We may use cookies and similar technologies to maintain login, prevent fraud, and understand usage. On the Service website we use the analytics tool Google Analytics, but only if you consent via the cookie banner. The data is analysed in a non-identifying form and is not used for advertising. You can withdraw your consent at any time from "Cookie settings" at the bottom of the top page. The content, recipients, and purposes of information transmitted from your device to external parties are published on our "External Transmission of Information" page.

8. Retention period

We retain information for the period necessary to achieve the purposes, or as needed for legal, dispute, or anti-fraud purposes, and appropriately delete or anonymize it when no longer needed.

9. Security measures

We take reasonable security measures such as access control, encryption, permission management, and audit logs, and we appropriately supervise our employees and subcontractors. If a leakage or similar incident occurs, we will report to the Personal Information Protection Commission and notify affected individuals as required by law. However, we do not guarantee complete security.

10. Minors & age verification

No one under 18 may use the Service. We verify age and strive to prevent minors from using it.

11. Your rights

To the extent of applicable law, you may request disclosure, correction, addition, deletion, suspension of use, suspension of third-party provision, or notification of the purposes of use of your personal data. Requests are accepted at the contact in Section 13; after verifying your identity, we will respond without undue delay as required by law. For disclosure requests, we may charge a fee within the scope permitted by law.

12. Changes to this policy

We may revise this policy from time to time. For material changes, we will notify you by posting within the Service, etc.

13. Contact

For inquiries about this policy, please contact us at the address shown in the Terms of Service. The name, address, and representative of the business operator handling personal information are as set out in the Commercial Transactions Disclosure.